JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Looting and violence spread across several neighborhoods in South Africa's major cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg after a spate of overnight attacks that appeared to target foreign-owned shops.

At least 50 shops were looted and burned early Monday in the southern Johannesburg suburbs of Malvern and Jeppestown. Police fired rubber bullets at looters as burnt cars were stranded in the roads.

Police arrested 41 people for the violence in Johannesburg, while 8 others were arrested in Tembisa township, east of Johannesburg, and one person arrested in the capitol Pretoria, police said.

Monday's violence follows similar incidents in Pretoria last week, in which protest led by taxi drivers saw several foreign-owned shops looted and torched.

Officials said Monday's crimes were opportunistic, dismissing reports that foreign-owned shops were targeted.